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Saturday, February 28, 2015

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, check it out and sign up here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

What would you do to save someone you love?
In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.
But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?
The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

I wanted to read Salt and Stone because it has been near the top of anticipated releases, and I have been itching to have it in my hands. I somehow missed it on Edelweiss, and figured that I would be waiting for the release day, but got approved at the last moments and was doing a dance. I was almost afraid that it wouldn't be as good as the characters and fast paced plot that I had built up in my mind, but I wasn't disappointed.

I was so glad to be back in this world. I have missed Tella and Madox, her animal companion assigned to help her in the competition. Tella is fighting along with others for a cure. All of their loved ones are sick and the founders of the Brimstone Bleed are offering the winners cures for whatever ails their family. The first book took them through the jungle and desert, and she couldn't imagine what would happen in the next two legs of the race that would be any worse than what she has faced.

Guy, the romantic interest on this series really won my heart but he has put space between them. Worse, their interactions has left Tella questioning her own strength. I hate that and though I want to believe the best in Guy, he certainly wasn't making it easy. I saw his struggle, because he is fighting for someone as well, and he also has a bigger plan to take down the Bleed from the inside, so he is determined to win. His protectiveness and attachment to Tella is something he couldn't have foreseen, and I can tell he is struggling with perspective.

Salt and Stone leaves Tella facing the sea, and the mountains covered in ice. She faces things that she never imagined. Beside her she has also collected pandoras. Monster is by her side--he is a huge bear. She also sees a lizard being marked before the start of 3rd and she begs for him to become hers as well. She continues to show great compassion to the animals, the most to hers of course, but she can't stand to see the animals in pain or being mistreated. Tella has an enormous heart for the group of allies that have gathered around her as well. She has to try to remind herself that only one will win the cure, and balance that with the bonds that inevitably form when struggling through such hard climates, challenges and life or death.

Tella has to make some impossible choices in this one. Does she prioritize the cure for Cody? Her new friends who have banded together? Her pandoras especially Maddox who has risked his life, and provided so much comfort to her. All while exhausted, dehydrated, faced with the extremes of the earth. I savored every second, and don't know what that says about me that this is ultimate entertainment except that I am attached to her as well.

The end came at a good time in the book, and now I will be craving the next book for the next year like I have for Salt and Stone. This is a series that has made an impression on me, and even with my evolving reading styles and preferences, this has stood the 5 star rating.

Bottom Line: Exciting second book as good as the first with characters I adore.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Where would you rather battle for a cure for a loved one? Jungle, desert, ocean or mountains?

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I also feature books that may have already released, but I am anxiously waiting to read.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to the Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.
Releases: June 16th 2015 by Disney-Hyperionnote for brandi- this is 100 on tbr

Monday, February 23, 2015

A thrilling tale about what a girl will do to get back a memory she lost…or remove what she wants to forget.
Harper is used to her family being hounded by protesters. Her father runs the company that trademarked the "Memtex" procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn't be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend.
When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories.
Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life…

Remember appealed to me since I am drawn to stories about memory loss, and the idea of selecting memories to be less emotional or even the chance to remove them has so many possibilities. At the beginning Harper seems to have things going pretty well, she's smart, especially in sciences, she has a long term boyfriend and a loyal if opposite best friend.

However it was a waiting game, because I know from the synopsis that things will go wrong and she will have memories that she'd rather not have, and pays a price for them to not plague her.

Her procedure prompted frightening side effects and she meets Neil, who seems to have answers to the questions she has, where no one in her life is offering up suggestion.

I liked the friendship in this one. How she was so supportive for Harper and gave an ear. But I think it brings up an important issue where when Harper has a problem she gets so focused on herself and issues that she didn't give her time to talk about her own issues.

It got pretty suspenseful, and I have to admit that I didn't see a lot of the twists coming. I had ideas, but none of them were right.

The love triangle aspect wasn't too annoying, and I can understand how she ended up with the sticky situation.

Everything wrapped up well, and I enjoyed this standalone mystery.

Bottom Line: Good main character and unique twist to the memory theme.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Any memories that you would chose to erase or soften?

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, check it out and sign up here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

My few weeks:
Hey! I am back! I had a great trip to disney with my family. My older daughter is trying all sorts of new stuff, and loves thunder mountain to no end. My youngest was sad that her favorite, the Ariel Under the Sea was closed for refurb but she settled for dumbo and the goofy coaster. I was a little sad that I thought my favorite cupcake in the world was gone from Contempo, but the strawberry one had the same icing and cake, I just had to scoop out the strawberry filling. We focused a little more on pin trading and the sorcerers of magic kingdom than before but still did lots of rides, caught the parade, ate some wonderful food. I am on my cane this week from my fibro, and it has been crazy because we got an ice storm and oldest daughter was home from school all week.

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumors swirled around school, she was silent. When her parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.
Now, six months later, on a youth group retreat in the Smoky Mountains, Hallie still can’t find a voice to answer the taunting. Shame and embarrassment haunt her, while Luke keeps coming up with new ways to humiliate her. Not even meeting Rachel, an outgoing newcomer who isn’t aware of her past, can pull Hallie out of her shell. Being on the defensive for so long has left her raw, and she doesn’t know who to trust.
On a group hike, the incessant bullying pushes Hallie to her limit. When Hallie, Rachel, and Hallie’s former friend Jonah get separated from the rest of the group, the situation quickly turns dire. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to band together.
With past betrayals and harrowing obstacles in their way, Hallie fears they’ll never reach safety. Could speaking up about the night that changed everything close the distance between being lost and found? Or has she traveled too far to come back?

I wanted to read the distance between lost and found because I wanted to know what happened with Hallelujah nicknamed Hallie and Luke. Even though I thought that her silence was actually not speaking it ended up that she just wasn't standing up for herself.

I know a lot about feeling left out and taking on blame and internalizing issues. So the fact that Hallie was so down about this spoke to me. There was some incredible character growth and opening up both emotionally and honestly evaluating what happened and the response from others.

When she ends up lost with new friend Rachel and old one Jonah they are tested physically, emotionally and Hallie somewhat spiritually. They are on a youth group trip and Hallies parents are super involved with church. The book never felt pushy just the questions of a young girl who had grown up in church and wondering how or if the God she learned about fits into her world of hiding from others, feeling misunderstood, and now facing getting lost in the mountains.

They faced being cold, rained on, injuries, and not having enough to eat. But they learned a lot about each other. Hallie finally talks about some of her pain. Wet also realize that her and Jonah used to be good friends sharing music and movies until one night things happened and Luke, their mutual then friend, began to spread lies about her. It was nice that they got things into the open.

I liked Rachel more than I thought I would. At first she is just looking for an in at the party the counselors didn't know about, and then she is all cozy with Luke. But she keeps trying to engage with Hallie. I admit that I was suspicious right . Along with Halle but I also can't in with her prejudices and out look. But she is a nice girl and had good intentions. She was lonely in her own rights.

The pacing was good and plot had enough character development, flash backs to the time when Halle changed and the details of the teens trying to survive until rescue found then.

The romance was sweet and it fit the tone of the book. It didn't take center stage but was a long time crush not realized but finally kindled into something.

The courage, persistence and ingenuity of the three of them was great. They came to rely on one another and saw that some of the ways they were living or thinking wasn't right.

The ending was nice and it gave closure with hope for each of then moving forward. They learned from each other and their experience and I can just imagine how their next few months and into new school year night go for them.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I also feature books that may have already released, but I am anxiously waiting to read.

Unleashed, the romantic, high-stakes sequel to New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, is perfect for fans of James Patterson's Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

Davy has spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the fact that she tested positive for the kill gene HTS (also known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome). She swore she would not let it change her, and that her DNA did not define her . . . but then she killed a man.

Now on the run, Davy must decide whether she'll be ruled by the kill gene or if she'll follow her heart and fight for her right to live free. But with her own potential for violence lying right beneath the surface, Davy doesn't even know if she can trust herself.
Releases: February 24th 2015 by Harper Teen

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Welcome!

I am Brandi Kosiner and this is my personal book blog. I am a 30-something stay-at-home mom to two girls. I love going to Disney, playing video and board games with my husband. I love Young Adult books, with a focus on paranormal romance, fantasy, dystopia and contemporary, especially dealing with illnesses, tough issues such as cutting, eating disorders, issues at home, etc.

Feel free to contact me.with any questions or comments. I love to hear from you!

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I am a personal book blogger. I purchase my books for review, get them from a library, an arc tour, from author or publisher for review, but I am NOT PAID for this service. I do it for the love of books.

I do make some cash from Blogads and Google Adsense, but that money is purely for the ads, not the reviews. Money goes towards upkeep of blog and for giveaways.